The processing and display of large quantities of graphics data in real time typically requires the use of high bandwidth processors, buses and storage elements (e.g., memories). For example, the rendering of graphics data on conventional displays often requires 32 bits of data per pixel to achieve high fidelity images with accurate color. As the sizes of displays and the number of pixels rendered on displays increases, there is a corresponding increase in the bandwidth requirements of components within display systems that perform graphics rendering operations. To reduce these bandwidth requirements, techniques have been developed to reduce the amount of data required to render images on a display for those instances where pixel color and/or pixel intensity values of adjacent pixels is equivalent. Some of the techniques for compressing data are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,847 to Molnar et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,875 to Keely et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,289 to Johns.